Waggit Returns
by Goldmoonrider
Summary: The Tazarians have returned! But their new home is threatened when a new team of dogs enter the park and attempt to steal their territory. Waggit finds that he has feelings not only for his team but for someone else as well. Find out what happens in Waggit's Return!
1. Finding The Cave

A light breeze was flushed into the cave and brushed leaves onto the cave floor. The Tazarians stirred in their sleep, but only a few of them were awake, either listening to the early morning sounds or cleaning up themselves before the other dogs in the team saw them. A few of the sleeping dogs were twitching in their sleep to a bad dream or because another dog was brushing their fur on their snout.

Waggit had been one of the first to awaken, and when he had gone outside the snow was falling just as hard as it had been the day before. The pool of water next to their cave home was cold, but the Long Cold still hadn't frozen it to a point where they could no longer drink.

He lapped up a few gulps of the sweet taste and turned to nod a greeting to Little One and Little Two who were both on Eyes and Ears. The two pups were still young, but the rest of the team saw that they were growing bigger, and they had already grown twice the size of their adopted mother Magica.

The two younger dogs dipped their heads in submission, remembering that Waggit was now not only older than them, but since the Big Move had been made, he was also now their deputy.

"Hello, Waggit," Little One greeted the white dog.

"What brings you out this early?" Little Two asked, thumping his still-small tail on the hard earth below him.

The larger dog shrugged and glanced around the meadow where a few deer were grazing peacefully. "Just thought I should probably get a head start to my day today and go see if i can catch a few hoppers for breakfast."

The two smaller dogs nodded together and, saying goodbye, Waggit left them be and headed out towards the path that led deeper into the park. Ever since they had moved here, he had been memorizing each path, seeing with one led where, and attempting to find a nice meadow such as the one they already lived in, in case of an emergency. He knew nothing serious would probably happen, but every dog needed to make precautions.

He turned the corner and headed down the same old path. It was barely light out, from what he could see, although there was a blanket of snow piling on branches overhead, so that dimmed the lights a little. He sighed as he turned the corner onto a new path he hadn't explored yet and trotted down it, taking in all that was around him. Slowly he came to a stop and looked at what he had come to.

The end of the path stopped abruptly at a small cave just big enough to fit a team of dogs while leAving just barely enough room for an upright. He sniffed around it. Only the scent of hoppers, scurriers, and deer filled the air, and it didn't look inhabited. He decided to take a look inside and, checking outside to make sure everything was how it was suppose to be, pushed his head into the cave entrance.

The inside was a lot like their own cave, only a little bit smaller. There were leaves scattered across the dusty floor and cobwebs around the ceiling. All in all it looked like a good home to a dog like Waggit. He nodded to himself about it and pulled himself out, shaking a few spiders off his head and turned to hear back to the rest of the team.

When he got back, he saw that a few of the dogs were having an argument, and Lowdown was in the middle of it. Waggit rolled his eyes. The older yet smaller dog was always making a fuss about how he had seen a Gray One and no one else had. It was actually be coming quite annoying.

He trotted towards them and sighed as he heard a bit of their disagreement.

"I did too see a Gray One!" Lowdown protested to Gruff. "I saw him right over there." He nodded to a patch of ferns on the far side of the meadow.

Gruff snorted. "Yeah? Gray Ones don't exist, they're just stories to keep the young ones from howling for food."

Alicia stood beside Gruff and nodded. "You're seeing things, Lowdown," She screeched. "You've grown so old you don't even know a bird from a hopper."

The three went on in a howling fit about whether the existence of Gray Ones was real or not, and no one around seemed to want to stop them from fighting. That is, not until Tazar showed up.

"What in the Great Dog's name is going on?!" He barked at the three as he emerged from the cave. His powerful and intimidating look helped him to stop fights like this, and the three looked up at their leader quickly.

"Lowdown's going on about how he met a Gray One, but they don't exist," Gruff complained. "Do they, Waggit?"

All eyes turned to the white dog as he stood near their gathering. Even a few of the younger dogs had decided to join in on the commotion, and now the pack was in two separate groups.

Waggit looked at Tazar, then at Lowdown. The old dog peered at him through hopeful eyes, and Waggit cleared his throat and stared at Gruff. "I have seen a Gray One too. Although no one else has, they do exist. Whether or not they exist in our time, that does not make them lies or stories. And Lowdown here has a right to believe in what he wishes, and so do all of you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to speak to Tazar alone."

The big black dog nodded and led the young dog deep into the forest, close to the way Waggit had come earlier that morning. Snow covered splotches of the path, but the dogs ignored it as they walked together.

Waggit looked up at his leader with amazement that the old dog was still looking so noble. His head was high in the air and his chest was puffed out proudly, and even with his limp he still had the walk of a king. But there were times when he was not able to look so majestic as he did now.

The limp he had gotten through a roller accident a while back had permanently damaged him, although he had gotten help from an upright who knew about how to fix those sorts of things. His left hind leg now stuck out a little, and with every step he struggled to stay on his paws. This made it hard to take walks through the forest, or lead his team through the park on expeditions. And hunting was completely out of the question, though knowing Tazar he was quite fine with that.

They rounded a corner and headed down the dirt path the Cal and Raz had found a while back. Tazar and Waggit both knew the way to where they were going quite well: it was the one place they were able to get in their private conversations without being surprised by one of the other dogs. And thankfully it wasn't so far that Tazar had to walk slowly or else he would be in critical pain.

"Sit, Waggit." The black dog nodded to Waggit's spot by the stream they sat by. The meadow they were in wasn't too big, but it was just fine for the two of them, and the stream made it an exceptional spot.

Waggit sat in front of his leader, his tail pounding on the ground excitedly. Tazar noticed this and grinned a "Dog Grin". "What seems to be on your mind?"

"I found an emergency cave. Just down the main path." Waggit panted happily.

Tazar nodded. "Good. Is it big enough for the team?"

Waggit nodded his answer and described it to the older dog, stopping for Tazar to making a few comments here and there. Once he had finished, the black dog pondered on what they might do next.

"We should make sure no upright can find it, in case they decide to wander down an unbeaten path to see what's on the other side." He pointed out, then bent over to take a small sip of the stream water.

Waggit nodded. "I'll see to it. Little One, Little Two and Jumper can do that."

Tazar made a face at his deputy. "Are you sure Jumper is ready to help out with the team yet? She's been a bit resistant on the whole 'abandonment' thing."

Waggit remembered the day he'd found the little pup in the baseball field outside the park. She had been abandoned by her owner and had been searching around frantically for him. Her situation had been much like hers, even with the fact that she didn't want to believe her upright had abandoned her. She had even run away a few times to try and find him, and every time Waggit would find her back at the baseball field alone and ashamed. He had hoped by now she would have accepted the fact that she was now a free dog, but her hopes were still too high.

"I don't know, Tazar," Waggit sighed. "But I think we should give her a chance."

The black dog nodded. "Good choice, Waggit. Come, lets get back to the team and announce the finding."


	2. The Encounter

By the time the two lead dogs had returned, most of the team had dispersed from the spat that had been settled earlier. Gruff and Alicia were now sunbathing nearby the pool of water beside the cave, and Lowdown was sniffing around at a dead butterfly. Little One and Little Two were playing 'chase the hopper' with Jumper, who, with her short legs, was having trouble keeping up.

When Waggit and Tazar stood side-by-side at the entrance to the forest, most of the dogs appeared too lazy to notice, but not the pups. The twins skidded to a stop in the center of the field and yipped playfully at Waggit, ignoring the fact that Jumper had slammed into their back legs. The tiny dog yelped in surprise and shook her fluffy head, but as soon as she spotted the white dog, her tiny tail flashed behind her.

Tazar rolled his eyes with affection at the three young dogs and, dipping his head to his second-in-command, walked off towards the remaining dogs in the cave. Waggit watched his leader go and turned back to the three puppies staring at him from afar.

"Waggit!" Jumper sped through the tall grass as fast as her small legs could carry her and jumped up at Waggit playfully. Behind her, Little One and Little Two followed closely behind at a trot and greeted their friend with happy pants and quick wags of their tails.

"Where'd you go, Waggit?" Jumper panted the words as she bounced up and down at his paws. He lowered himself down to her level and gave her a friendly lick on her nose.

"I went to do Big Dog Stuff with Tazar, little one," He said and raised himself up to the other two dogs' height. "I have a favor I need you three for." He explained his plan with the rest of them and asked them what he had told Tazar a few levels of the sun ago.

"You want us-" Little One started.

"To help-"

"Can I finish a sentence with you guys?" Jumper cut in, and the two big dogs looked down at her in surprise.

"Uhh..." Little Two pondered on the thought a little bit, but Waggit sighed before he could answer.

He sat down and ignored the sound of leaves crunching beneath him. "Jumper, that's not the point. The point is, I need you guys to help us make the emergency cave I found a little more discreet. Do you think you can do that?"

Jumper nodded enthusiastically, and Little One and Little Two looked at each other and shrugged. "I guess-" Little Two licked his lips.

"We could." Little One finished.

Waggit nodded. "Good. We can get started on that tomorrow. Today, though, I need you three to keep an eye on Gruff and Lowdown. If they start bickering at each other again, make sure Tazar knows about it so he can resolve the matter. I'm going to go for a hunt and see what I can catch myself for my first meal of the day."

He nodded a goodbye to the three dogs and headed down the steep hill towards the Big Deep. His long legs and strong muscles made it easier for him to keep his stride as he headed downward on the hill. For most young dogs, this was an easy lump in the road, but for dogs like Gruff and Lowdown, this would be a painful experience. So, for most of the time, only the younger dogs of the team went down to the shore of the Big Deep.

His paws touched the soft sand at the bottom of the path and he gazed out from below the arch made by the willow trees around him. The water before him stretched out for miles, never ending on either side. The scent of the water was deathly salty, and Waggit had to breath lightly so he wouldn't choke on the scent. He stared out into the horizon and sighed as he noticed how low the sun was beginning to get.

Waggit moved onward up the shore, watching the view as he walked, until he stopped as he realized he had gone far enough. Turning to leave, he paused at the sudden movement in the wall of bushes beside him. He narrowed his eyes until he could barely make out a brown nose in the midst of the shadows.

"Hello?" He asked, taking a step back so his paw touched the water-wet sand.

The nose pulled back immediately and for a few moments, the only sound was that of the rising shore. Finally, a slim paw protruded from the bushes, followed by a beautiful creature that made Waggit almost drop his jaw and drool.

The dog before him stood proud and tall, her long ginger fur flowing with the wind. Her ears lay flat against her head, and her tail stuck out behind her. Soft brown eyes blinked at Waggit, slowly bringing him back into reality.

Waggit shook his head and looked back at the dog in front of him. "Who are you?" She asked, looking him up and down.

"I-I..." He stood for a moment, trying to think of how to respond. "Umm, I think the better question, is who are you?"

The ginger female wagged her tail a little. "I'm Celia. Me and my father's team, the Trapsters, just moved here from far away."

Waggit tilted his head to a side. "When?"

"Last night." She replied, then tilted her own head. "Hey, are you with the Tazarians? The team of dogs the Ductors told us about?"

"You were brought by the Ductors?" A simple nod confirmed it. "The Ductors brought us here too. I mean, of course they did, if they told you about us. But... where did your team take shelter?"

Celia pointed with her nose to the part of the woods the Tazarians hadn't explored yet. "We took shelter among a grove of ferns just past the road. We were told you are closer to the shore, am I right?"

Waggit nodded and wagged his tail happily. "Why don't you bring your team over tonight? For a sort of welcoming feast?"

"Why not? I'll go tell my father and we'll-" She paused after beginning to turn around. "Wait, you should probably show me where it is first..."

Waggit raised his chin and nodded. "Sure. Follow me."

Leading her away from their meeting place, he led her down the shore and up the hill he had come down earlier. He watched her as she gracefully trotted up the hill and noticed the beautiful gleam in her fur as she walked. Her head was raised for most of the way, and her eyes were attentive and straight. Waggit couldn't help but drool a little at the sight.

They came to the turn where the camp lay and loud barks made Waggit's ears straighten. The voices sounded like... Gruff and Jumper! "Come on!" Waggit raced down the pathway under the arch of trees and shot into the clearing.

Gruff was racing around the meadow at top speed, a snarl plastered to his face. His jaws snapped at a little black dot running ahead of him, and most likely away from him. It took a few moments of watching, Waggit to realize the spot was little Jumper, a terrified look gleaming in her eyes.

"Waggit!" She barreled into his fore-legs and bounced off. With as much speed as she could muster, she hid behind the white shield of Waggit's legs and peeked out as Gruff skidded to a stop.

The big dog growled at the little one and glared at Waggit. "That little rat stole my scurry! She should be punish for it!" He snapped his jaws at Jumper's exposed nose, but Waggit barked at him to back off.

"Gruff! I don't care if she had stolen your entire day's meal! No puppy should be treated with such vicious behavior, even if they did steal your food." He narrowed his eyes down at Jumper, who whimpered in sadness at him, knowing she was going to be punished.

Gruff growled for a moment, but finally ceased and pulled back his lips. "Next time you won't get any sympathy, rat." With that, he turned and trotted back to Alicia, who was sitting outside the cave watching with raised ears.

Waggit sighed and looked back at Celia, who was still standing beside him. "I'm sorry about that. Some of the dogs in the team don't know the rules as well as most."

"I understand." Celia said. "Some of our own dogs are like that. But we have learned to control our tempers over the years, and we are not at peace with ourselves."

Waggit admired the pride in her voice as she spoke and nodded. "Alright, well, I guess you've met Jumper," He looked down at the little dog, who had stayed in a small ball behind his paws.

She stared up at him with big eyes. "I'm sorry, Waggit..." She whimpered, her ears back in sorrow.

Waggit sighed. "Just don't do it again, and you will be fine."

The small dog nodded and raced back out into the field where Little One and Two stood at a distance, apparent to have watched the entire episode.

"I should go, now," Celia said. "My father won't be pleased if I don't return before sunset."

Waggit nodded and turned to her with concerned eyes. "Will you be able to find your way back?"

Celia nodded. "It isn't that far. I'll be fine." She bid Jumper and Waggit farewell and trotted back into the forest alone.

 **Okay, I know this isn't as good as the last one, but sadly I didn't have the book in front of me to help me. So, if there are any problems, please point them out! Once they have been fix, I will delete this paragraph so I can return the chapter to it's book like ways. Thank you!**

 **Goldmoonrider**


End file.
